Part 6: Meeting with the Buddha

I hurriedly did a few rounds of circumambulation around the Stupa, got the Buddha robe and quickly got back before it gets dark. In Bodhgaya, around this time fo the year, day time is shorter. It gets dark at 6pm- the same darkness as 8pm back in my hometown. The time difference is about 2 and a half hour.

The office had pinned a notice that Rinpoche would arrive at 5pm that day. I thought I had missed him, but thanks to some blessing, when I got back at RI, I found out that there would be a delay. Rinpoche would only arrive at nioght but not sure what time. We will just have to wait. Thank goodness I didnot follow the KL group to the Stupa at night because I would have missed Rinpoche.

As the night grew darker and darker, my heart grew with much anticipation. Wow - my first time with Rinpoche. Wow! The time I had been waiting for. Finanly at about 11pm, Rinpoche's blue jeep drove in, and out comes the Magnificent Guru!

He was smaller in built than I had in mind, but larger in life than I thought. There was a long line of waiting eager devotees/potential devotees each with a kata cloth in hand. I could not find the yellow golden kata I thought I had brought here with me, so I bought a new kata. When Rinpoche reached me, I said to him " It's so nice to see you ...". I think he put the kata over my head and laughed (or smiled and said "Yes" I am not sure) and held my head with both his hands. I saw that for the others before me, he was very quick in putting the kata over their heads. He was tired by now with all the travelling. He needed rest and there was not going to be any teaching for that night.

I retired that night feeling so happy, almost estatic ..kept thinking over and over again Rinpoche's blessing of me awhile ago. That was my first meeting with the Guru. Good night my dear Magnificent Guru! Thanks for the sight of you and the blessing!